Mute



4 June 3, 1941. T, M. KOEDER MUTE Filed Aug. 1, 1940 Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUTE Theophil M. Koeder, Naperville, Ill.

Application August '1, v1940, Serial No. 349,169

1 Claim.

The invention relates to mutes for Wind instruments, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind, by means of which different effects can be produced, as Well as tone color Without changing the pitch of the instrument, or in any wav aiecting'the tone.

A further object is to provide a mute for windinstruments comprising an outer bell having a tapered extension adapted to be received within the instrument bell, and an inner tapered horn carried by the bell of the mute and extending into the tapered end with its small end terminating adjacent the inner end of the mute, vand giving a horn effect and tone color Without changing the pitch of the instrument in which it is used.

A further object is to support the inner tapered horn from the outer end of the mute bell so that said horn may vibrate for obtaining the proper tone values. Also to provide the flared outer end of the inner horn with a. perforated wall.

A further object is to form the bell of the mute with an annular ange surrounding the inner horn and receive within an annular flange of the main body of the mute so the parts can be easily assembled, or disassembled for repair and cleaning purposes.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that" changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the end of a conventional form of Wind instrument and through the mute.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mute.

Figure 3 is a fron-t elevation of the mute.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the mute.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates the bell of a conventional form of wind instrument. The mute comprises a tapered body member 2 having an inner open end 3 surrounded by a cork packing I, which packing holds the mute in axial position within the bell I when the mute is in use. The outer end of the body member I flares and terminates in an annular` flange 5, which receives the annular flange 6, frictionally or otherwise, of the mute bell l, which is semi-spherical in shape. Disposed within the body member 2 and in the bell I is the inner tapered horn 8, the inner end 9 of which terminates adjacent the inner end 3 of the body member 2. The horn 8 is tapered to obtain the horn eiect and flares outwardly at Ill where it merges, at II, into the outer end of the mute bell 1.

The outer end of the inner horn 8 is closed by a wall I2 having a plurality of air passages or perforations I3 therein. It will be noted that the inner horn 8 is entirely supported by its forward end, consequently the horn can vibrate and maintain the tone color Without changing the pitch of the instrument in which the mute is used. It will also be seen that the muting effect will not be harsh, and the bell 1 can be easily removed from the body 2 for cleaning or repair purposes, and by having the mute in separate parts the cost of manufacture is reduced to a minimum.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

A mute comprising an outwardly tapered frusto-conically shaped body portion, the outer end of said body portion terminating in an outwardly curved flared portion, said flared portion having connected thereto a semi-spherically shaped bell, a tone horn within the body portion and bell, a perforated closure carried by the outer end of the tone horn, said tone horn extending axially into the body portion to a point adjacent the inner end of the body portion, said tone horn comprising a second tapered frustoconically shaped body portion having its Wall concentric throughout its length with the first mentioned body portion and its outer surface at equal distance from the body portion, said tone horn being flared and outwardly curved from a point adjacent the inner end of the flared and outwardly curved portion of the rst mentioned body portion and connected to the perforated Wall.

'I'HEOPHIL M. KOEDER. 

